Apparently some knucklehead in Manassas was unlawfully converting rifles into automatic weapons and short-barreled rifles, and making silencers, according to WTOP. If there’s one body of federal law that is consistently and vigorously enforced, it’s federal firearms laws, and any idiot that doesn’t understand that and decides to flout these laws deserves the stiff punishment he gets.

Undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives say they purchased four unregistered machine guns from Compton in April at his previous home in Ashburn. Compton allegedly told the undercover agents he had manufactured and converted the weapons.

Again this month, undercover agents say they met Compton at his home in Manassas and purchased two unregistered machine guns, an unregistered short barrel rifle and an unregistered silencer.

The person arrested was Christopher Compton. No information regarding this person’s address was reported.

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Why should the feds enforce these laws but not enforce immigration laws which impact the community MUCH more than this garbage would? I can’t believe someone hasn’t offered a defense of “if you won’t enforce federal immigration laws then why should you enforce these laws” defense. This is absurd. This government is so gone and so far removed from reality and what the average citizen wants that it’s pathetic.

Back in the Stone Age, when I was a young soldier, my unit transitioned
from the M-14 to the M16 and it was my first experience with full-auto.
During Jungle Training, before we were deployed to Viet Nam, a
range NCO, (an old grizzly Sergeant First Class who had fought in
Korea and also had three Viet Nam tours behind him) told us that
full-auto was nothing but a waste of ammo and that if we ran out,
then dont run over and ask for some of his. Mr. Compton, you have
done a very stupid thing. And for what?

Given how cheap (compared to the cost of a trial) it is to build SBR/SBS/Suppressors on a Form 1 you have to wonder whats going on here.

Now, you can’t build new machine-guns on a Form 1 because after May of 1986 the transfer registry was closed to new entries. (That the NFA is a revenue generating tax, and closing it to new registrations defeats the purpose of the tax is beside the point.) Anyone with enough sense to engage in home-gunsmithing (totally legal for your own use) knows the NFA laws.

The ATF has a long history of letting their technical division “test” firearms that they suspect of being non-compliant. “Test” in this case may involve modification until they get the results they want.

What would be a legal barrel becomes an unregistered short barreled rifle when a 10 foot cheater bar is applied to a pinned muzzle device.

What would be a legal shotgun becomes a short barreled shotgun when a hacksaw is applied to the stock and barrel.

What would be a legal semi-automatic rifle, becomes an unreigstered machine-gun when various parts are modified and worn enough to induce a malfunction.

Regardless, the duty of investigating violations of Federal firearms laws should be given to the FBI, and the duty of administrating the NFA transfer registry should be given to the IRS or other body dealing with taxes.

park’d said on 22 Dec 2007 at 9:07 am:
Why should the feds enforce these laws but not enforce immigration laws which impact the community MUCH more than this garbage would? I can’t believe someone hasn’t offered a defense of “if you won’t enforce federal immigration laws then why should you enforce these laws” defense. This is absurd. This government is so gone and so far removed from reality and what the average citizen wants that it’s pathetic.

Bob Willis
I think the point park’d was making is you have such glaring crimes such as illegal immigration going unpunished, yet the Government has time to make long investigations into matters that aren’t presenting immediate and severe problems (gang violence for one)

What a joke said on 22 Dec 2007 at 6:03 pm:
Bob Wills said on 22 Dec 2007 at 2:41 pm:
what a STUPID comment park’d.

Yeah, STUPID…. like the condescending comments you and Mr. Crone continue to make to our Board of Supervisors.
Have you NO RESPECT for anyone other than yourself?

What a joke do you RESPECT the BOCS who break the county zoning laws so long as it is something they like?

Do you RESPECT the BOCS who let you apply for a zoning variance that they will not and can not grant because of a ruling by the Supreme Court of Va? That only cost a tax payer about 600.00 by the time they get thru with everything.

Do you RESPECT the BOCS who lied when they said they could issue 800 million in county bonds without raising taxes ?

Do you RESPECT the BOCS who change the zoning laws so a jackass can have a building built within the 35 foot set back requirement in A-1 zoning but those who are disabled including our Veterans can not get the same consideration for shelter to get into a vehicle?

Do you RESPECT the BOCS who let the Korean Dry Cleaners Association to have special zoning so that we can not have the choice to have a fixed price Dry Cleaner in our area and have to pay almost double to the KDCA ?

I do not and will not RESPECT those who think they are better then others and do not RESPECT the laws of PWC or of this Country.

Except, federal law states that the manufacture of FULL AUTO machine guns is against the law.

You can have machine guns, as long as you have the required license and it was made before the ban on them went in to effect.

The 2nd amendment, like the 13th and 14th, were made before the invent of automatic weapons. Therefore the great leaders of the time would not see fit to put a control on Weapons of Mass destruction that they are.

Be happy that they wrote the 2nd amendment. Be sad that a person like Christopher Compton would sell four unregistered machine guns and then sell two unregistered machine guns, an unregistered short barrel rifle and an unregistered silencer. Only two types of people will buy these, people that chose to be illegal and ATF men. Be glad that 8 pieces of weapons have not been bought by terrorists or domestic bank robbers.

If you cannot support the law, then don’t quote the American Constitution! Then you are truely un-American.

You want full auto? Enlist and send some of the YOUNG people home to live a life that will be lost.

If that was directed to me GOP base I do better then that. I bring them to their knees it is a lot more fun and satisfying.

I have the cases in both Va and MD which have done just that. Kind of nice the have a case named for you mother which they teach in law school. After all you would agree with the county that said she was too old tobe hurt on the job and therefor could not be disabled and was not entitled to disability retirment…

Dennis, Where is your class 5 licensing for practicing Freedom of Speech on medium that founding fathers would have NEVER thought possible. Bill of Rights either protects modern day equivalent or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t, internet, modern printing machines, and television aren’t covered by First Amendment. Bill of Rights isn’t something you get to pick which parts you like. You either like it all or hate it all and it’s something both liberals and conservatives tend to forget.

Except, federal law states that the manufacture of FULL AUTO machine guns is against the law.

You can have machine guns, as long as you have the required license and it was made before the ban on them went in to effect.

The 2nd amendment, like the 13th and 14th, were made before the invent of automatic weapons. Therefore the great leaders of the time would not see fit to put a control on Weapons of Mass destruction that they are.

Be happy that they wrote the 2nd amendment. Be sad that a person like Christopher Compton would sell four unregistered machine guns and then sell two unregistered machine guns, an unregistered short barrel rifle and an unregistered silencer. Only two types of people will buy these, people that chose to be illegal and ATF men. Be glad that 8 pieces of weapons have not been bought by terrorists or domestic bank robbers.

If you cannot support the law, then don’t quote the American Constitution! Then you are truely un-American.

I DON’T CARE WHAT THE CODE SAYS, THE CONSTITUTION OVERIDES ANY LOWER LAWS